Backgrounds, General
Allies Allies are individuals who support the character, or might otherwise be inclined to provide favors- and sometimes even ask for one. The details of your character's allies depend on your imagination and your Storyteller's approval. Temporal and religious authorities, people prominent in commerce or a profession, family figures and the like are all possibilities. • One ally of moderate influence and power in the immediate community. •• Two allies, both of moderate power locally and some influence in the country or region. ••• Three allies, one of whom wields significant power, official or otherwise. •••• Four allies, one of whom is extremely influential. ••••• Five allies, one of whom is a major force in an important institution and can provide aid from far away. Contacts Contacts are people who are willing to provide the character with information, though they are unlikely to offer any service beyond that. Each level of Contacts includes a specific individual, for whom you should work out a description, and a surrounding "halo" of lower-grade connections throughout a social stratum (If your contact is the harbormaster, for instance, you can count on getting some information from sailors, longshoremen and tavern-keepers nearby. Difficulty is higher for minor contacts, minimum 7.) • One major contact. •• Two major contacts. ••• Three major contacts. •••• Four major contacts. ••••• Five major contacts. Followers Sometimes, quantity is better than quality. Followers reflects a number of individuals who might be riled or hired to help your character with specific tasks. To a merchant, they might be slaves and servants that carry his goods; to a priest, they might be his usual peasant flock that closely listen to his words; to a commander, they might be expendable units to add to the front lines. Depending on the nature of the group,note that they will have certain drawbacks- they might not be willing to lay down their lives for the character, or be tapped at a moment's notice. Background represents a larger number of less skilled, less unique NPCs than what the Retainer background gives. For skilled guards who are combat-ready and capable, use the Retainers Background • A couple of followers. •• A handful of followers. ••• About a dozen followers. •••• Around a score of followers. ••••• A veritable crowd. Mentor Mentor reflects the continuing presence of a powerful or influential individual, who takes an interest in the character, providing advice, aid and resources (depending on the mentor's interests). The mentor is not a magic cure for all the character's problems, nor is the mentor at the character's beck and call, since he presumably has matters of his own to attend to. • A person of note- with little influence, though good wisdom. •• A well-respected individual with some influence. ••• A locally influential and well-connected person. •••• An individual with significant power in surrounding society and strong connections to other communities. ••••• One of the significant people of the age (whose full importance you likely don't yet realize). Resources Resources are valuable goods whose disposition your character controls. In the currency-scarce world of Conan, these assets may be actual money, but they're more likely to be property of some sort - land, grazing rights, animals, tax claims in kind as well as money and so on. A character with no dots in Resources has enough clothing and supplies to get by, but little margin for luxuries. • Sufficient. You can maintain a typical residence in the style of the social class you choose and seem unmiserly, even if fits of largesse come seldom. •• Moderate. You can display yourself as a member in good standing of your chosen community, with the occasional gift and indulgence seemly for a person of quailty. ••• Comfortable. With land and property, you are a easily a prominant and established member of your community- this likely lets you draw on credit at very generous terms. •••• Wealthy. You want for nothing, and likely have a reputation for your good fortunes. ••••• Extremely Wealthy. Kings come to you for loans. Retainers Retainers are servants and companions with personal bonds of loyalty to your character. Depending on the character they may be actual servants, fellow veterans of a crusade, fellow members of a monastic sect, childhood friends and the like. • One retainer. •• Two retainers. ••• Three retainers. •••• Four retainers. ••••• Five retainers.